Holiday Surprises
by Higuchimon
Summary: Misawa Saki expected visiting her son and his beloved would be a different way to spend the holidays. She had absolutely no idea of how different it would be.
1. Unexpected

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Yu-Gi-Oh GX  
><strong>Title:<strong> Holiday Surprises: Chapter 1: Unexpected  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Misawa Daichi, Taniya, Misawa Saki  
><strong>Romance:<strong> Taniya x Misawa  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> chapter: 1,616||story: 1,616  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Drama, Family, Romance||**Rated:** PG-13  
><strong>Challenge:<strong> Yu-Gi-Oh GX Non-Flash Bingo; Diversity Challenge, section H, #9, a multichapter with exactly five chapters.  
><strong>Notes:<strong> This takes place a few years after the end of Yu-Gi-Oh GX.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> [1/5 chapters, Taniya x Misawa/Misawa x Taniya, OC (Misawa's mother), GX Non-Flash Bingo & Diversity Challenge] Misawa Saki expected visiting her son and his beloved would be a different way to spend the holidays. She had absolutely no idea of how different it would be.

* * *

><p>Amazoness Village rang with noise, which wasn't unusual in the slightest. Instead of the usual sounds of weapons being forged or warriors at arms practice or even the chants of the village mages as they worked their magic, songs of praise filled the air, hymns that glorified the cycle of life and the natural world, and the fact that tonight, the winter solstice, that cycle turned from winter toward spring.<p>

Misawa Saki watched all of this from underneath the shelter of a broad-leafed tree that she couldn't identify. She wasn't much of a horticulturist, but she thought even one of those wouldn't be able to put a name to most of the trees that grew in and around this village. Everything here remained too strange for her to really feel comfortable around.

"Mother!" Well, perhaps not _everything_. Her son moved over toward her, a warm light in his eyes. She had never seen Daichi look like this in all of her life. While this place remained off to her in many ways, he looked even more at home than he did in his own bedroom.

What made it stranger was that he wore an outfit that he never would have been seen in a handful of years earlier. And he still wore it as naturally as he usually did his Duel Academia uniform. Well-made leather sandals, a sarong-type wrapping that left his broad shoulders bare, and a single pendant carved from a tooth, though not from any animal she recognized personally, all combined to give him a wild demeanor that did not in any way detract from the thoughtful gray-eyed gaze he always turned upon the world.

"Hello, dear," she smiled at him. No matter how strangely he dressed, he was still her son, and always would be. "Are you having a good time?"

Daichi chuckled. "I came to ask you the same thing. I know this isn't your usual kind of celebration."

Saki glanced around one more time. That was putting it somewhat mildly, she thought. "It's different," she allowed. She'd never considered celebrating something like this herself. It really didn't resonate with anything she'd experienced. No signs proclaiming sales, no restaurants with specials for families or couples. Only people moving this way and that with a certain spring in their step and a smile on their lips.

And the majority of them were female. That in itself struck Saki as more than a little unusual, though she supposed in an 'Amazoness Village', it was only natural. There were a few men there, aside from Daichi, but the women took charge of all of the decorating and cooking, in a fashion that spelled out how important these actions were, and not as background noise.

"Have you seen Taniya?" Daichi looked around again. "She's going to be very busy later and I wanted to talk to her before everything gets started."

Saki shook her head. She refused to admit, at least to her son, that Taniya made her a trifle nervous. It wasn't anything about the tall woman in particular, for she'd always been polite, but a sense of wildness that reminded Saki of wild beasts, a dangerous air that murmured that if the circumstances warranted it, Taniya could and would kill without the slightes hesitation.

What disturbed her perhaps a bit more was that Daichi seemed to like that about her.

Many other factors about Taniya made her nervous as well, ones that she did not wish to speak of to her son. He'd told her how they'd met; he'd told her back in his first year at Duel Academia when it had happened. Though his e-mails at the time entailed far more "I've met the most wonderful duelist in the world" than indicating he planned to spend the rest of his life with her then.

She didn't completely understand everything about the Phantom Demons that he'd mentioned on those infrequent occasions when they'd had time to speak to one another then, only that it was a great honor to be chosen to guard their keys, and she'd been very proud of him for that. The fact he'd lost disappointed her, though she'd never told him that.

There was so much that she hadn't told him, and she wondered if she would ever be in a position to do so.

"Oh! There she is!" Daichi's eyes brightened as he caught sight of a particular ponytail. Bidding farewell to her with a quick wave, he hurried over, calling Taniya's name.

One day, Saki told herself, she would be used to all of this. Today wasn't that day. She'd been offered garments to help her blend in with the locals, but had turned them down, since that wasn't at all what she wanted. She didn't deny that the outfits looked very cool and comfortable in the jungle heat, but those clothes weren't her at all. This was a celebration, of course, and she wore one of her better outfits to honor it.

While the feasting and merrymaking would continue for another day or so after this, allowing everyone time to wind down from the peak of the event tonight, she planned to go home at least the next day. She would make arrangements with Daichi for his next visit, of course. Just because he'd moved out - and into another world altogether - didn't mean that he wasn't going to visit her regularly. She would make certain of that.

As the sun drew closer to the horizon, people began to circulate with trays of food. This wasn't yet the formal feast, she recalled, but just something to allow participants and observers to take the edge off of their hunger so it wouldn't disturb them when the great moment came.

That was another point she didn't entirely understand here. In all honest curiousty, she'd asked Daichi if the Amazons expected any sort of special supernatural guests to arrive during the ceremony. Given that they themselves, as Duel Spirits, were supernatural to her, it didn't seem such an outlandish idea.

"We asked, but Juudai and Johan are very busy tonight, and couldn't make it," had been his answer. She wasn't certain how much sense that made, since the only 'Juudai' she remembered was one of his classmates and she wasn't at all certain about any 'Johans'. But if it made sense to him, that was good enough for her. Perhaps she'd get an introduction later that would clarify the matter for her.

One of the younger Amazons passed by her, tray held against a smooth, well-muscled shoulder, and stopped, turning a bright smile toward her. "Would you like something to eat?"

Saki wasn't certain at first, but her hunger decided for her. She'd been too nervous throughout most of the day to eat anything. With her stomach audibly rumbling and her cheeks flushing a sudden red, there was little else she could do but accept a few of the small cuts of meats arranged on the tray.

If she'd been able to, she would've cleared off the entire tray in a few more moments. The meat wasn't one she recognized - there were so many things she didn't recognize in this world - but it sank into her tastebuds and burst over them with a rich savor that made her want a roast or a steak made in the same style. Each small piece she tried had been soaked in a delicious sauce that only enhanced the underlying flavor.

She needed to find out who made these and what the recipe was. And if there was any chance she could learn to make it for herself.

Without a clock, she had no idea of how much more time remained until the ceremony itself began. She had a watch, but since they weren't running with her time, it didn't do her that much good. They would begin when they began, she supposed.

Saki also supposed that it would be soon, given that she couldn't see Daichi or Taniya anywhere. He'd explained that Taniya ruled this tribe, which meant she would conduct the ceremony, and he would assist her. He hadn't yet explained what assisting would entail, and Saki at least admitted to herself that she was curious to see how the ceremony itself would play out.

Unexpected noise rose from the far side of the encampment, shouts of rage, language that Saki couldn't recall having heard before, and pounding feet. Curious, she moved that way, wondering what could be going on. The ceremony couldn't have already started; Daichi had promised to get her for it before then.

She got a much better idea of what was going on when several warriors rushed by her, each one more furious than the one before her, weapons clutched in their hands.

_Maybe I should stay out of this?_ She'd never considered herself a fighter, being more content to work at her ordinary job and raise her son, and this looked to be far more trouble than she could handle anyway. The Amazons were warriors. Whatever was going on was surely within their ability to handle, wasn't it?

Saki started to take a step back, when something large, green, and in desperate need of a bath surged out of the bushes in front of her. She stumbled backwards, eyes going round as a creature she'd never seen before save as an image on a card, or at best a holograph, stalked toward her. While the Amazons were the same, there was a large difference between a friendly tribe bent on making one welcome into their home and a creature that seemed intent on welcoming one into the stewpot.

This was not the holiday vacation she'd hoped for.

**To Be Continued**


	2. Unaware

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Yu-Gi-Oh GX  
><strong>Title:<strong> Holiday Surprises: Chapter 2: Unaware  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Misawa Daichi, Taniya, Misawa Saki  
><strong>Romance:<strong> Taniya x Misawa  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> chapter: 1,638||story: 3,254  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Drama, Family, Romance||**Rated:** PG-13  
><strong>Challenge:<strong> Yu-Gi-Oh GX Non-Flash Bingo; Diversity Challenge, section H, #9, a multichapter with exactly five chapters.  
><strong>Notes:<strong> This takes place a few years after the end of Yu-Gi-Oh GX.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> [2/5 chapters, Taniya x Misawa/Misawa x Taniya, OC (Misawa's mother), GX Non-Flash Bingo & Diversity Challenge]

* * *

><p>Goblins howled and screamed throughout the village, racing this way and that, setting fire to what they could, knocking over what they couldn't, and laughing the whole time, as if this were some kind of a game to them. For all that Saki knew, it was. Maybe this was how <em>they<em> celebrated the solstice. She'd heard of stranger things in her life.

But if it were, then the Amazons certainly wanted nothing to do with their interpretation of the holiday, and did all within their power to get rid of the uninvited guests. Not all of the warriors there were duelists, and those that weren't seized weapons and raged right back at the intruders.

Saki dodged away the best that she could, trying to avoid getting involved in all of this. She also tried her best to find her son; where was Daichi? He likely wouldn't be taking any of this lying down. Strange as it might seem to her, this was his home, and he'd always taken the duty of defending his home seriously.

She couldn't see him though, nor Taniya, nor any of the handful of others she'd come to recognize during her brief stay. She could hear a few voices that sounded somewhat familiar, and so she headed over that way in the hopes of encountering someone she knew.

Who she encountered, instead, was a short little green creature with a rich royal robe, pointing this way and that, declaring orders in an unexpectedly deep voice.

Saki pulled up short, not certain of who it was, but given the situation, not willing to trust anyone who wasn't an Amazon. She considered for a moment moving out of this goblin's line of sight, but before she could, the creature turned and spied her.

"A prisoner!" He waved imperiously at her, and two of the taller goblins leaped forward, wrapping their arms around her in a grip that bid fair to wrench her arms from their sockets.

"Let me go!" Saki squirmed and struggled with all of her might, which wasn't all that much compared to the burly creatures that held her now. "How dare you!"

"I dare what I please! I am King Goblin!" The crowned goblin declared, head held up high and proud. "You will join us for our celebration tonight!"

"Sorry, I already have an invitation," Saki retorted, wincing as her captors tightened their grip on her.

"I was not asking." King Goblin sniffed, taking another look around at his warriors. Saki didn't know how many he'd brought, but she could see a few bodies here and there, and the stench of fire and blood grew stronger with every moment.

"You're making a very big mistake!" Saki told him. She started to say something else, only to have a thick, smelly cloth shoved in between her lips and tightened behind her head.

King Goblin stared down at her. "No one refuses an invitation from the Goblin King. You are also not required to speak. Or wished to." He lifted his head to glare around. "Come! We have enough!"

The goblins holding onto Saki followed after their king as he hurried away, scampering far more quickly than she would've thought someone with legs that short could've done. She tried her best to slow them down, kicking at any random chunks of bushes they passed, but that only worked for so long before her captors lifted her off her feet, one of them tossing her over one shoulder.

After that, much better progress was made, though Saki wasn't thrilled about it at all. She pounded as hard as she could on the goblin's back and sides, but to no avail at all. She didn't know where they were going, but it was clear she was going there whether she wanted to or not.

* * *

><p>Misawa caught his breath, trying to look around even as he did so, hoping for some clue as to where his mother had vanished off to. He knew she had to be around; he didn't like to think about what could have happened to her otherwise. But he couldn't find her.<p>

"Where is she?" He didn't like this. The more time that passed without him seeing her, the more worried he became. He'd asked her here to have fun and to spend time with her, not for something like this to happen!

Soft footsteps, ones that most might not have heard, sounded and he looked up into Taniya's worried eyes.

"They're all gone," she told him, a concerned frown on her lips. "But they took captives. A couple of scouts and one of the warriors."

That didn't bode well at all. He swallowed some, straightening up and admitting what he didn't want to. "I think they took my mother as well. I can't find her anywhere."

Taniya's only reaction was to call for the nearest batch of scouts and send them searching through the village, while warriors, spellcasters, and paladins prepared for the counter-raid to recover their clanmates. No one was ever left in enemy hands if Taniya could help it.

She also rested one muscled hand of her own on Misawa's shoulder. "We'll find her. No matter where she is."

"I know." He trusted her completely. "But what did they do this for?" He'd known that the Amazons and Goblins didn't get along well, and there had been guards set out just in case of something like this.

Taniya frowned again at that. "The guards were drugged. That's how they got into the village in the first place. I don't know what they have in mind, but we'll recover our own before they can do anything."

"Of course." There was no question of that. There was also no question that the two of them would go along on this mission. Taniya led the clan and it was part of her duty to take care of those who needed her like this. And this was Misawa's mother. There wasn't any question that he'd go in search of her.

The questions would be exactly what the Goblins wanted and if they _could_ find the captives before anything happened to them.

* * *

><p>King Goblin rubbed his hands together gleefully as he and the rest of his raiding party hurried through the woods on the way back to their village. It would take at least another day to get there; it wasn't wise to live too near to Amazons. They had a distressing habit of not taking it lightly when goblins raided and took prisoners or treasure.<p>

And tonight they had both! Four delicious captives and a half-dozen chests that could provide them with great fodder at the next market. He couldn't imagine why anyone would treasure some of what he'd seen, but people would trade almost anything for some of what they had in their possession now. Skins, gemstones, magical items, finely crafted weapons, all of those would be traded for food or clothing that the goblins would find useful.

As for the captives, those would make excellent slaves around their own village, or they could be sold at the market as well. He knew that Harpy Queen had been in the market for a good slave for some time now, someone with some experience in tending to children. The last time they'd spoken to one another, she'd said that the young hatchlings were getting quite out of hand.

_Perhaps the old one would be good for that._ He liked that idea. He didn't know yet what the three Amazons would be good for on the market. Perhaps someone had a good arena somewhere that would be a good place for them. It wasn't like the old days, when Brron had held his court. Crossing over into his world had been difficult, as had been getting back, but he'd sold many captives there who'd lost their lives in the arena.

He'd figure that out later. He would have to send a messenger to Harpy Queen and let her know that he had a good child-tender for her.

Wait. Before he did that.

He stopped, turned to the one of his guards holding the old woman, and poked her in the arm to get her attention. The look she gave him held nothing of respect, much less fear. She would have to learn better than that.

"You! Old woman! What do you know about taking care of children?" He wondered where she'd come from anyway and why she was at the Amazon village. They weren't noted for hospitality to anyone outside of their clans.

She gave no answer, however, just rolling her eyes and looking away. He poked at her again.

"You'd better tell me something. That could mean the difference between you having a good position or just being tossed up on a slave block!" He grabbed her arm and shook it harder, glaring up into her eyes. "Now, answer me! Do you know about raising children? Can you take care of little ones?"

For a few moments she said nothing at all, which wasn't surprising as she still had the gag stuffed in her mouth. Then she nodded slowly, hints of curiosity clear in what he could see of her expression.

Well, he was the King of the Goblins, and he didn't see any reason at all to tell her what her fate was. Not yet, anyway. She'd learn as soon as Harpy Queen came for her.

He smacked one of the other goblins on the shoulder. "Go to the Harpy Hunting Grounds and inform Her Majesty that we have just the kind of slave that she's looking for," he ordered. "But she'd better hurry. There could be Amazons coming."

With that in mind, he ordered the troupe to get moving faster. The sooner they were in their defensible location, the better.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Unlikely

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Yu-Gi-Oh GX  
><strong>Title:<strong> Holiday Surprises: Chapter 3: Unlikely  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Misawa Daichi, Taniya, Misawa Saki  
><strong>Romance:<strong> Taniya x Misawa  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> chapter: 1,648||story: 4,902  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Drama, Family, Romance||**Rated:** PG-13  
><strong>Challenge:<strong> Yu-Gi-Oh GX Non-Flash Bingo; Diversity Challenge, section H, #9, a multichapter with exactly five chapters.  
><strong>Notes:<strong> This takes place a few years after the end of Yu-Gi-Oh GX.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> [3/5 chapters, Taniya x Misawa/Misawa x Taniya, OC (Misawa's mother), GX Non-Flash Bingo & Diversity Challenge]

* * *

><p>Saki closed her eyes, more to keep herself from getting sick at the way the ground bounced up and down as the goblin carried her along in his king's wake than anything else. She also wanted to think, and she thought better with her eyes closed and nothing there to distract her.<p>

Granted, being all but told she was going to be sold to take care of someone's children was very distracting. The King Goblin didn't have to have told her this directly. He seemed to have forgotten she had ears and that gagging her didn't stop them from working. Well, she wasn't going to let him know. Any kind of advantage she could get would be something she hoped she could use to get out of this.

She'd also heard about the Amazons possibly coming, and given what she'd learned of them during her brief visit so far, she thought 'possibly' could be more accurately rendered as 'certainly'. But that was another point she wasn't going to bring up, even if she could have. If the goblins didn't know for certain, then maybe they would make some form of a mistake.

So far, she couldn't tell if they had, though. One of them had tied her wrists and ankles together, keeping her from struggling to the point she fell off her captor's shoulder. Even if she had, she wouldn't have been able to go anywhere. So she hung where she was, trying to put together her thoughts enough to figure out something to do.

The idea of just sitting around waiting for the Amazons to get there wasn't one she especially enjoyed. It might be what she had to do in the end, but she wanted to exhaust all of her other options first, slim as those might be.

_I'm tied up. They don't look like they're going to stop any time soon. Who was it he sent that message to?_ She racked her memory for a few moments. King Goblin hadn't actually said the name, but... _He said to go to the Harpy Hunting Grounds. So, a Harpy._

She knew that there were Harpies in Duel Monsters, but she'd never given the game enough thought to know all the details. That was Daichi's province, not hers. Still, that answered the question, to some extent, or at least the part about who the king wanted to sell her too.

As much as Saki tried to wrap her mind around it, the idea of being sold to someone else really didn't feel _real_. She could more easily accept Goblins and Harpies and Amazons than the idea of being someone else's property. So she didn't even try. Being a slave wasn't going to happen. She didn't know how she would get out of it, she just knew that she would. She'd either get away before the Harpies arrived or Daichi and the Amazons would turn up. Those were the only options she let herself consider. Anything else would just drag her down.

So, she turned her thoughts firmly to how she could get out of this. No matter how unlikely it seemed.

* * *

><p>Misawa had always thought he was in good shape for most of his teenage life. He'd abided by the rule of 'healthy body, healthy mind', making certain to jog regularly and eat a balanced diet.<p>

When he'd come to live with Taniya and the Amazons, he'd found out that he didn't have the slightest idea of what being in good shape actually meant. At least not by Amazon standards. And while they didn't hold him to the same standards as their own warriors, he'd received more than one _look_ when he couldn't keep up on ten mile runs.

He could do better now, and they weren't running all out on this trip. While they wanted to make good time, since the sooner they could rescue their captive tribemates (and his mother!) the better, they had to stop now and then to check the trail and make certain the Goblins hadn't tried anything funny. That certainly helped him to keep up.

Taniya slowed her pace a fraction, eyes flicking over footprints that Misawa himself could barely see. The ground here wasn't good for tracking, which was probably why King Goblin had chosen to go this way in the first place. From what Misawa knew of him, he wasn't stupid by any means. Short-sighted - which would explain why he'd attacked in the first place - and greedy - which explained why he wanted prisoners he could sell for good prices - but not stupid.

He looked around himself; while Taniya was by far the better tracked, he'd on occasion managed to find a trace or two that she missed. This wasn't some kind of a game where they wanted to score the highest points; they needed to find the goblin camp before anything could go wrong even worse.

Which was why his heart leaped when he spied a stray thread that clung to a thorny bush. He peered at it without touching it just yet before he called Taniya's attention to it.

"I think that came from my mother's shirt," he told her. It wasn't from any of the Amazons; none of them wore that kind of fabric at all. It could only have come from Earth.

Taniya brushed a finger by it cautiously, then nodded. "We're on the right track. Let's keep going."

None of them really wanted to mention what could happen if the Goblins arrived at their home before being caught. There was a chance they could still get there before any of the standard fates of goblin prisoners happened, but they would all be more comfortable if they got there before that happened. Misawa especially; he hadn't invited his mother here to lose her like this. Or to lose her at all.

He caught Taniya's eyes for a moment and she gave him a reassuring smile as they hurried down the trail once more. Before they'd left the village, she'd sent off messengers to some of their allies in the area, in the hopes that they could delay the goblins enough that the Amazons could catch up. He couldn't be certain if it would work, but it gave him something to hope for, nevertheless.

* * *

><p>King Goblin noted the sun brushing against the tops of the trees and brought himself to a halt, waving the rest of his entourage to do the same. He took several deep, puffing breaths before he waved one hand again.<p>

"We're going to make camp!" He pointed to a range of hills not that far away. "Over there!" It would be the best place; they wouldn't make a fire, and the terrain he'd chosen would hide their tracks still from the Amazons. The messenger he'd sent to Harpy Queen hadn't yet returned, but that didn't mean much. Harpies could fly much faster than Goblins could run, so once the message arrived, the Queen could get there to retrieve her slave in almost no time at all.

The hills provided more than just cover; the one he'd chosen also came with a convenient cave, and a small spring, which meant he could rest in completely safety, and the captives could be hidden away from prying eyes. _And_ they would have fresh water, as opposed to what they'd brought with them. That was good enough in a pinch, and would do tonight for the captives, but he preferred better quality fare.

That also meant that as they settled in, he plowed into the loot they'd liberated from the village, searching out the most delectable dainties to feast upon. He paid little attention to what his minions ate; they would have to satisfy themselves with the rations they'd brought with them. There were, after all, perks to being king.

He eyed the human woman for a few moments as he feasted. She leaned against the side of the cave, her eyes still closed, and quietly breathing. He wanted to keep her breathing; Harpy Queen had promised him many fine gemstones once he found a slave who suited her needs. He reached over and prodded the woman with one finger, pleased to see her look back at him.

"You'd better not have been lying to me about what you can do. Though once you're paid for, it won't really be _my_ problem." He bared his teeth in a savage smile at her. "Harpy Queen isn't going to take kindly to slaves who can't do their job. You know what they do to slaves who won't work?"

The woman didn't answer. The gag probably did help with that, but he didn't see fit to take it off her. He didn't want to hear her howling and yelling and all that noise bringing the Amazons down on them. Though he did kind of wonder what she'd been doing with them. She didn't _look_ like them, not nearly muscular enough, and she was dressed strangely as well.

"Where do you come from?" He had to say that he wasn't interested in more than the mildest of ways. Perhaps if he found a way to her village or city or world or whatever, he could find more slaves who could bring him even more profits. He might even want to keep one or two for himself.

She only rolled her eyes and looked at the cave ceiling, declining to give any kind of answer. Of course; she likely wanted to protect her people.

Before he could question her more thoroughly, however, one of his warriors stepped into the cave. "Majesty, Harpy Queen has arrived."

King Goblin pulled himself to his feet at once, grinning. He remembered quite well the sample gemstone that the queen had given him gleamed in the sunlight. She'd promised him ten more just like it when he found a slave to tend her hatchlings.

Time to collect.

**To Be Continued**


	4. Unbound

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Yu-Gi-Oh GX  
><strong>Title:<strong> Holiday Surprises: Chapter 4: Unbound  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Misawa Daichi, Taniya, Misawa Saki  
><strong>Romance:<strong> Taniya x Misawa  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> chapter: 1,683||story: 6,595  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Drama, Family, Romance||**Rated:** PG-13  
><strong>Challenge:<strong> Yu-Gi-Oh GX Non-Flash Bingo; Diversity Challenge, section H, #9, a multichapter with exactly five chapters.  
><strong>Notes:<strong> This takes place a few years after the end of Yu-Gi-Oh GX.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> [4/5 chapters, Taniya x Misawa/Misawa x Taniya, OC (Misawa's mother), GX Non-Flash Bingo & Diversity Challenge] Misawa Saki expected visiting her son and his beloved would be a different way to spend the holidays. She had absolutely no idea of how different it would be.

* * *

><p>With two Harpie Ladies behind her, Harpie Queen touched down in front of King Goblin's cave, just as he stepped out, dragging Saki behind him. The gag kept her from saying anything that she wanted to say, and the more she settled into this situation, the more she <em>wanted<em> to say. They'd asked if she knew anything about governing children; indeed she did, and these goblin children needed far more governing than they imagined.

Harpie Queen looked her up and down, a thoughtful tilt to her head, then turned her attention to King Goblin.

"This is my child-tender?" Unlike the screech Saki had somewhat expected - they were _harpies_ after all - her voice was soft and firm, the voice of a leader and a queen.

She oddly reminded Saki of Taniya, only with feathers instead of fur.

King Goblin puffed out his chest. "That she is! Do you have my gemstones? Perhaps one or two extra could be provided as well? I did find her so quickly, after all."

Harpie Queen said nothing at all, her wings folded over her chest instead. Her gaze fell firmly on Saki. "She doesn't look like a very content slave."

"She's new to the position, that's all," King Goblin waved his hands quickly. "I'm certain you'll be able to train her well."

The Harpie made a noncommittal noise before taking a step forward, seizing hold of Saki by one shoulder and pulling her close. Saki glared back at her, wondering just what this strange creature wanted out of her.

The bonds holding her loosened a trifle, and Saki's eyes widened as she realized why: Harpie Queen's talons gleamed sharp and dangerous.

"Perhaps. I think I would rather like to see what she can teach you, however."

Harpie Queen took a step backwards and gestured with one talon. Saki did not waste another breath, but slammed one fist into King Goblin's stomach with all of the might she could muster. She wasn't as built as Taniya was, but she had a great deal of annoyance boiling in her from everything that had happened since the moment the goblins invaded the Amazon settlement, and she saw nothing at all wrong with taking it out on their leader.

The Harpie Ladies with her pounced on the goblins that stood guard to the king, keeping them away as Saki kicked her former captor as hard as she could. She didn't want to kill him; that wasn't her sort of action at all. But she wanted it made very, very clear that kidnapping people was a very bad idea.

Finally she ripped the gag out of her mouth and stared down at him. "And if you think I'm angry, wait until the Amazons get here."

"Which they should very soon. They were already on the way when the messengers reached me," Harpie Queen said, coming over to stare down at King Goblin, who lay there groaning and battered.

"Messengers?" Saki rubbed her fists; she couldn't remember ever having punched anyone like this before. Or at all.

Harpie Queen's lips lifted into a swift snatch of a smile. "Didn't you know? Amazons and Harpies have been allied for time out of mind." She turned her gaze back down to King Goblin. "I expected _him_ to know that and to know better than to try to offer me someone of Taniya's clan."

At Saki's curious look, the queen continued. "Taniya and I have known each other since I was little more than a hatchling and she not that much older." She rested one taloned finger on a pendant that hung from her neck, which Saki recognized on a closer look as being a tiger's fang. "She told me of her mating with your son, Misawa Saki. I can smell his scent in yours."

Saki blinked a few times, trying to wrap her head around that. "Oh. All right." She wasn't entirely certain of how that made her feel, but if it got her away from these goblins, then she had little to complain about. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Tsubasa," Harpie Queen said. Saki tilted her head, not understanding at first. "My name, Misawa Saki."

"Oh." Saki drew in a breath to try to balance everything in her head. She wasn't having a great deal of luck. "You can call me Saki." That seemed the best way to handle everything right now.

Tsubasa turned her attention slightly away as the two Amazons who'd been captured as well came up, freed from their bonds by the work of her attendants. The other goblins remained cowed underneath the steely glare of the Harpies, who looked more than a little eager to start a victory feast, quite probably with the goblins as the main course.

Saki decided if that happened, she would politely ask to be excused. She could understand different customs, but she had no intentions of taking part in that.

"By our customs, you are allowed to take a trophy from your defeated enemy if you so desire," Tsubasa said, pulling Saki's attention toward her. "Is there anything that you would like?"

Saki pursed her lips, eyeing King Goblin thoughtfully. Truth to be told, while she'd taken the chance to punch when she could, she didn't really want to do anything else to him. She was free, he would likely be terrified enough of her, the Amazons, and the Harpies to never try this again, and that was all she cared about.

"I don't know. I'm not sure if he has anything that I want." Everything he had that looked remotely presentable belonged to the Amazons anyway, from what she could tell. That should all be returned to the proper owner.

But she couldn't resist the urge to give King Goblin a hard look as she made the statement, hoping to give the impression that if he _had_ owned something that caught her fancy, she might well have taken it.

Whether she would have or not was beside the point. She'd never liked bullies and he was one of the worst she'd ever met. Those types needed to learn the world did not bow to them.

King Goblin, perhaps being wise for one of the few times in his life, said nothing at all, just glared at them both impotently. Saki turned her attention toward Tsubasa.

"I need to get back to the Amazon village." She hoped all of this hadn't set back the celebration plans too badly. Everyone had put too much into it to let it all collapse.

"You don't have to worry about that. Taniya will be here soon with her rescue party," Tsubasa said. She smiled for a moment. "I don't think she realized that we would be here as soon as we were." She tilted her head to the side, much like a bird, in a moment of thought. "Perhaps we will join this year's celebration. It's been some time since we shared a festival."

The idea sounded good enough to Saki, though it was wasn't any of her concern overall. She wanted only to finish this holiday vacation and get back to her own world. This one was much more interesting, but in ways she thought might take some serious adjusting to.

Her legs began to wobble underneath her without warning, and she grabbed hold of the nearest pile of rocks to support herself. Tsubasa's wings twitched in alarm.

"Are you injured?" Tsubasa peered closer at her, sniffing at the same time. "Do you need help?"

Saki slowly shook her head, gripping at the rocks. "I need something to eat." She'd looked forward to the celebration and the feast after it so much that she hadn't had more than the few bites before the goblin attack happened. Adrenaline had kept her going all this time, but now as her body realized she was safe, that faded away, and with it all of her energy.

The goblins had already devoured everything they'd stolen, and at Tsubasa's command, one of her Harpies soared off into the sky to acquire something else somewhere. Saki made herself comfortable on the rocks; it seemed they would be staying there until Taniya and Daichi arrived. That was quite good enough by her. She wanted to go back, but having a rest first would put her in a much better mood.

"I don't know if I could accept such things as you have, Saki," Tsubasa said after a few quiet moments. "If a hatchling of mine chose to mate with one from another world, it would be...difficult for me."

Saki fought back a bit of a smile, but not very well. "It is difficult. Taniya isn't who I ever expected for a daughter in law. It's not even being an Amazon or from another world." She considered, choosing her words with care. "I never had any idea that Daichi would like someone like her. I expected someone..."

What had she expected? The thought had never even truly occurred to her. "Someone more like the people I knew at home," she said at last. "But he didn't. He always has surprised me."

"No one expects their chicks to fly that far from the nest," Tsubasa nodded. "Or to find a flock that is so different."

Saki didn't try to hide her smile now. It was easy to talk to Tsubasa. Perhaps because she was a mother as well. "I always worried about that for him. If he would ever find people who loved him for him." She'd worried about more than that, but it was hard to put that into words as well. "But he has."

"That's good to know." Tsubasa flapped her wings and settled onto a tree branch not that far away, close enough so they could still speak to one another. "I do have a question for you." At Saki's look, she continued. "Would you still care to come and see my chicks, after the celebration? Not as a slave or a captive, but as a mother."

Saki raised her head; she hadn't expected that at all. The answer came easily. "I'd be honored."

**To Be Continued**


	5. Unwinding

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Yu-Gi-Oh GX  
><strong>Title:<strong> Holiday Surprises: Chapter 5: Unwinding  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Misawa Daichi, Taniya, Misawa Saki  
><strong>Romance:<strong> Taniya x Misawa  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> chapter: 1,705||story: 8,300  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Drama, Family, Romance||**Rated:** PG-13  
><strong>Challenge:<strong> Yu-Gi-Oh GX Non-Flash Bingo; Diversity Challenge, section H, #9, a multichapter with exactly five chapters.  
><strong>Notes:<strong> This takes place a few years after the end of Yu-Gi-Oh GX.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Misawa Saki expected visiting her son and his beloved would be a different way to spend the holidays. She had absolutely no idea of how different it would be.

* * *

><p>"Mother!"<p>

Saki smiled at the sound of her son's voice, turning to greet him as he, Taniya, and the rest of the rescue party stepped from the brush. Taniya took in the situation, then turned to Tsubasa.

"I see my message reached you," the Amazon tribal leader said, one corner of her mouth quirking up at the sight of the very subdued King Goblin.

"That it did." Tsubasa nodded, feathered arms folded over her chest. "Though his foolishness may not be without good results."

Taniya tilted her head and Tsubasa glanced toward Saki. "The lady here has agreed to visit our nesting grounds freely."

Daichi tensed up, looking from one of them to the other before his eyes returned to Saki. "Mother?"

She patted him on the arm. "It's all right, dear. I know what I'm doing." Children in need of discipline weren't that different from each other, she believed. Wings or fur or skin, they needed guidance and she knew how to provide that.

He looked at her for another moment or two searchingly, then nodded. "All right. If we're done here, then, we can probably get back home in time for the ceremony still. A little late, but..."

Taniya nodded, checking over her two freshly freed captives. "I think the powers that be will understand if we're not completely on time."

Daichi's own mouth quirked up now. "I'm pretty sure you're right."

Saki had a very strong feeling that she was missing a little part of this conversation, but at the moment she also felt that didn't matter. Not nearly as much as returning to Amazoness Village and finishing out matters so she could find a flat place to get some sleep afterward.

Taniya looked once more at Tsubasa. "Would you and yours care to attend the ritual with us? You'd be more than welcome."

Tsubasa didn't hesitate for a moment. "And we would be honored." With a wave of one clawed hand, she sent one of her own into the skies, taking word back to her flock of her whereabouts. Then she looked toward Saki. "I would carry you to Amazoness Village, if you like."

Saki herself hesitated now. She'd never been completely fond of flying. But she didn't want to be rude, either. "All right," she decided after a quick moment of thought. "Will it take long?" She could handle it for a little while. She hoped.

"Not as long as running will," Tsubasa replied, a smile teasing at her lips as she looked toward Taniya. "I'll see you there."

Saki could tell that Daichi wasn't completely thrilled by this. Part of her decision to do so was fueled by that; she wasn't so old that she couldn't handle new experiences. That was part of what this trip was all about in the first place.

Tsubasa scooped her up in to her arms, spread her wings wide, and leaped into the air. Saki had one last glimpse of the Amazons gathering together and heading back the way they'd come before they were too far away for her to see them any longer.

True to Tsubasa's word, they arrived back at the village before Taniya, Daichi, and the others did. Not _much_ long before, given that their return trip wasn't as cautious as the one outward, but soon enough, the Harpies and Amazons stood together, the tale of the abduction, the rescue, and the reaffirming of the bond between the allies being told to those who had remained behind.

Saki only partially listened to it all; she'd gone through it herself, and she needed time to rest before she paid too much attention to anything else. Instead, she sat in a place of honor Taniya had indicated to her and watched as the tale finished and the Amazons began to sort themselves out into the patterns for the ceremony once more.

By the time everyone and everything was in its proper position, full night had fallen. Saki seldom left her apartment when it was this dark, and those times she did, streetlights and well-lit buildings stretched out in all directions. Here only the firelight and torchlight pierced the night, and the darkness itself did not threaten with the unknown, but welcomed all instead.

She caught sight of Daichi looking into the shadows, a soft little smile on his lips, which moved into the shape of a word she did not understand. She had no chance to ask him what he said, however, as at that moment, the call for him to perform his part in this ceremony came, and she would not miss that for all the world.

Or all the worlds, for that matter.

* * *

><p>Saki knew that her son had many talents, though he preferred to focus on those relating to mathmatics, as well as survival. She hadn't imagined that he was a singer, and in all truth, he wasn't professional standard at all. She would've said it was suitable for singing in the shower or for close friends or personal enjoyment.<p>

Yet here he stood, in the outfit that she'd been told was restricted to the leader's mate, and without a shred of self-consciousness, he lifted his voice in song, telling a tale of long ago. A few minutes of listening told her that this was a creation myth of some kind, of something called the 'Gentle Darkness' and how from its nurturing depths all life came. It wasn't one she'd ever heard before, but it fascinated her anyway.

Darkness and light spun the world around in a balance, and now as the winter solstice embrace them, the time of darkness came to an end, and light would take over for the rest of the year.

At last the tale came to an end, and other voices took up singing, Amazons and Harpies alike. Warriors and spellcasters danced in fierce, expressive joy, and those who were mated embraced one another in the unending celebration of life and rebirth.

Saki just managed to keep her eyes open all this time, breathing low and deep, her attention wavering only a trifle here and there. She looked up at the pressure of a clawed hand on her shoulder and wasn't surprised to see Tsubasa there.

"Hello." Saki rubbed at her eyes as she spoke, wanting to be somewhat coherent. She didn't think the Harpie Queen counted as a friend just yet, but they weren't enemies, and it was only polite to be...polite.

"Their celebrations are always so different from ours," Tsubasa said, gesturing to the Amazons who still danced and amused themselves in every way. "Perhaps next year you'll attend our ritual for this night?"

Saki blinked at that. "I can't promise just yet," she hedged a little. "It's so far away."

"Of course." Tsubasa didn't seem to take any offense. "As to your visit for the hatchlings, you may come at your leisure. Unfortunately, I'm certain they will be as rowdy a month from now as they are tonight."

"Children usually are," Saki agreed, amused. "But I'll have to arrange more time off from work before I can." She'd only arranged a couple of days for this trip and she would need all the time she could manage to recover from it.

Tsubasa leaped onto a nearby tree's extended branch, talons closing about it as she perched. "If you wish, and he desires to, your son may accompany you on your trip. I'm certain it isn't one you'd wish to make alone." A swift smile slipped over her features. "Few wish to visit the Harpie Hunting Grounds without a guard of some kind."

A more foolish woman might've denied that. Saki tried hard not to be foolish. "I'm certain Daichi would enjoy visiting there as much as I would." He'd probably get all wrapped up in trying to figure out how they flew and anything else he could learn from there. Some things never changed, and his thirst for knowledge was one of those.

"Then when you both are ready, you are more than welcome," Tsubasa promised. "You may send a message to me through Taniya whenever you desire."

As much as Saki wished otherwise, she couldn't stop herself from yawning, covering her mouth with one hand as she did. "I'm sorry, Tsubasa," she apologized, cheeks tinging a faint red, "but I've had a very long day."

"I don't doubt that you have. Here comes your son."

Saki barely had time to look up before Daichi stood there, helping her to her feet. "They're going to keep on dancing for a long time, Mother," he told her. "You look dead on your feet."

It wasn't how she would've said it, but it was true nevertheless. She pulled herself to her feet, letting him give her a bit of a helping hand, glad that she'd found enough to eat during the ceremony itself so that she didn't fall on her face.

"Did you have a good time?" Daichi asked, then stopped in his tracks, staring at her. "I'm sorry, mother. I didn't think about that."

She waved it off, chuckling a little. "I can't say it was everything I expected it to be, but I enjoyed myself anyway." She stifled another yawn. "But I'm also ready to get some sleep."

"Of course." Daichi helped her along to the hut she'd been given for the night and soon enough she lay curled underneath a warm blanket

Of all the holidays she'd ever had, this one would forever hold a special place in her heart. She did, however, wonder what it would be like to visit the Harpie hatchlings, and to see what the Hunting Grounds were like. This was a world like none other, and while it wasn't something she'd expected while he grew up, she knew her son was happy here, and that was all she'd ever wanted for him.

Maybe she would see if she could arrange a longer vacation soon. She loved her job, but the thought of having more time to explore here did appeal to her. She didn't like to see an opportunity slip away from her.

With those thoughts in mind, Saki let herself fade away into sleep, beginning the inevitable recovery from the holidays.

**The End**


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